Hay Making Sunshine In Volatile Seat

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday March 14, 2007

By PAUL McINERNEY

WOLLONGONG may be the centre of Labor's heartland these days, but post-World War II history shows it does have a volatile nature, given the right political circumstances.

The Liberal Party's Jack Hough held the seat of Wollongong between 1968 and 1971, before losing it to the ALP for more than a decade.

Independent and then-Wollongong Lord Mayor Frank Arkell was the Wollongong MP for just on seven years between 1984 and 1991, before Gerry Sullivan regained it for Labor, which has kept a stranglehold on the seat ever since.

After 12 years of Labor rule, do major problems with public transport, health, roads infrastructure and unemployment, to name just a few, constitute the right political circumstances for change in Wollongong this time?

At the 2003 state election, Noreen Hay was the new Labor candidate after inflicting a surprising preselection defeat on incumbent Col Markham and in the process disenchanting elements inside the party.

A former long-serving official of the Miscellaneous Workers Union, she was subjected to scandalous allegations during the campaign. On election eve, her office was invaded by a large group of union officials demanding she make commitments on their behalf.

Not surprisingly, Labor's primary vote in Wollongong plunged by more than 13 per cent to 49.01 per cent and the ballot was forced to preferences.

Such distractions are not expected for Ms Hay in the lead-up to this year's March 24 ballot. With the advantage of incumbency and a field of opposing candidates with little or no public profile, she is unlikely to be forced to preferences this time around.

Liberal candidate Colin Fowler has had a lot of catching up to do on the hustings after answering the party's 11th-hour call just four weeks ago, but he believes Wollongong voters are looking for an alternative voice.

He accepts the enormity of his task in unseating Ms Hay, but hopes to be part of a stable Liberal team in for the long haul.

The Liberal Party attracted just 8.76 per cent of the primary vote in 2003.

Greens candidate Trevor Jones has had his task made more difficult by being drawn last on the ballot paper, but in 2003 the party drew a respectable 4319 primary votes.

Whether the emergence of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions as election issues can boost the Greens vote in Wollongong is difficult to predict.

Independent Lenny Fares and minor party candidates contesting Wollongong can be expected to have little impact on the final outcome.

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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